Anthony Azzopardi scores a fanciful Dubbo Cup victory

ANTHONY Azzopardi’s eight-and-a-half-hour round trip to Dubbo was well and truly worth it on Sunday night, taking out the Dubbo Gold Cup with his talented sprinter Fancy Top.

Starting at $5.80 from box three, the daughter of Comic Chief and Armatree Elle speared the lids and was left out in front on her own after race favourite Tullabung Honey ran off on the first turn.

Heading into the back straight, Melinda Finn’s strong finisher Still Searchin’ was the main danger but, despite taking some ground off the leader, she couldn’t quite do enough, eventually finishing one-and-a-half-lengths away in second place.

The winner clocked a speedy time of 29.81 and secured her third victory at the track from six starts.

Tullabung Honey was four-and-a-half-lengths away in third.

Fancy Top is owned by Terry Kingcott who will share $25,000 in first prizemoney with Azzopardi. The 27kg chaser notched up her ninth career win when taking out the final at start number 30 and has a new total earnings of $42,855.